Sabrina Delannoy: 'A very technical game'

Sabrina, what was it like watching the quarter-final with Lyon?
"There was a slight feeling of frustration after the first leg. Lyon got the win, but we felt that Paris certainly deserved better. Then, the first five minutes of the second leg were tough, Lyon put in a lot of intensity, but despite the goal, Paris woke up and upped their game. There was a lot of suspense, and we enjoyed the outcome a lot."

From the outside, you get the feeling that there is something special happening with this squad. How do you see it?
"I think it's a squad that is coming to full maturity and that has learned from its failures. It's a united squad with a real playing style, something that perhaps was lacking before. We see the squad continuing to improve and to grow from its experiences, it's a good blend."

A word about Irene. You know the position and what it's like to be a leader. How do you sum up what she brings to the team?
"For me, Irene is the soul of this team, the example, and the driving force. I was fortunate enough to play with her before retiring. She's the kind of player I love. She's not always in the spotlight, she's in the background, but a leader in the dressing room,  a super pro, and you want to go to war with her. We're lucky to have her, she's a player that carries the Paris Saint-Germain colours to great heights."

Barcelona on Sunday must bring back good memories...
"Yes, we played them in the semis in 2016. It was a great game. We won the first leg 2-0 in front of a capacity crowd at Mini Estadi and played the second leg at the Parc. I scored a penalty, and it had a special flavour as I knew it was undoubtedly my last game at the Parc. I still hadn't announced my retirement, but I knew it was my last season. It's one of my best memories here."

What kind of game do you expect on Sunday?
"You would think that they can go all the way because they have already knocked out the favourites, but you need to be careful with Barcelona. They're a similar team to us, one that has improved a lot and continues to do so. They play well, they're dangerous and they're going to up their game. It'll be a very technical match. You can expect a top-quality game."